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This book investigates the questionas to whether technological developments will ultimately mean the end of workand, if so, what the consequences will be. The author addresses this questionfrom the perspective of a technologist well versed in econometrics and gametheory, and argues that it is not technology alone that could lead to the endof work, but its utilization by the capitalist system. Technology allows us tominimize the costs of work and increase profits, while the system is worseningunemployment, socio-economic inequality and stratification - which could lead tothe end of capitalism in a massive global revolution.
Assuch, the book proposes an evolutionary reform based on a seemingly minor butin fact essential correction of the corporate income tax, which he proposesshould decrease in accordance with the percentage of the enterprise's revenuesexpended to pay employee salaries. In this way, entrepreneurs will be motivatedto implement new professions and occupations, as well as new workplaces. Onlyin this way, the book argues, can reforms be used to prevent the end of work,which would have catastrophic consequences.
List of contents
Introduction.- Ethical Premises and Values.- Technical Progress in Economics, Market and Democracy and Informational Revolution.- The End of Communism and the Beginning of an End of Capitalism.- A Vision of Informed Society and a Sustainable Redistribution System.- Who will be Adverse?.- Final Conclusions.
About the author
Andrzej P. Wierzbicki is
a specialist in automatic control and informatics with over 50 years experience
in these fields and wide international cooperation. He also worked closely with
economists on such subjects as decision analysis, game theory, econometrics.
Since over 30 years he also collaborates closely with the Committee of Future
Studies at the Presidium of Polish Academy of Sciences and specializes in long
term forecasts.
Summary
This book investigates the question
as to whether technological developments will ultimately mean the end of work
and, if so, what the consequences will be. The author addresses this question
from the perspective of a technologist well versed in econometrics and game
theory, and argues that it is not technology alone that could lead to the end
of work, but its utilization by the capitalist system. Technology allows us to
minimize the costs of work and increase profits, while the system is worsening
unemployment, socio-economic inequality and stratification – which could lead to
the end of capitalism in a massive global revolution.
As
such, the book proposes an evolutionary reform based on a seemingly minor but
in fact essential correction of the corporate income tax, which he proposes
should decrease in accordance with the percentage of the enterprise’s revenues
expended to pay employee salaries. In this way, entrepreneurs will be motivated
to implement new professions and occupations, as well as new workplaces. Only
in this way, the book argues, can reforms be used to prevent the end of work,
which would have catastrophic consequences.
